Does Nigeria have the capacity to be the largest economy in Africa without oil

Does Nigeria have the capacity to be the largest economy in Africa without oil?

The question is “without oil” sure Until last year it was the largest economy, but with oil.

The next biggest industry in Nigeria after oil was banking until the government messed with that one as well. So that is already in place, we just need someone with brains in government.

The country has the brains and resources to be not just the largest economy in Africa, but a leading one in the world. What we do not have are patriotic honest people. Do not put the corruption on the government only. From the policeman extorting money on the road, to the minister taking kickbacks. All affect the advancement.

Nigeria was once a major exporter of groundnuts, cocoa, Rubber. Coffee grows in Nigeria as well as other cash crops we have not even tried growing yet some countries run their economies on them.

We were once the assembly hub for several car companies. Instead of making cars we stopped altogether.

We have a rich territorial waters but how many fishing trawlers? That is right. All the ice fish sold are caught by foreign trawlers.

We do produce stuff that are better than even European or Japanese stuff. If you are building a house you will know how many products you use that the builders insist you get Nigerian made. Wires (for decades now) PVC ceiling, plumbing pipes. Tiles it's either Italian if you are loaded or Nigerian. However the foreign market does not know of them.

In this modern age you can make a living from home over the telecom and internet. India and Russia are well known for its computer services with international companies out sourcing jobs to them from all over the world. Why can we not join in? After all we keep producing thousands of computer graduates.

Even poor countries have a national airline to promote them and make money. Where is the Nigerian airways? That brings me to a point that annoys me most.

Tourism. A flight I was on from Lagos to Benin was diverted and went along the coast. Hundreds and hundreds of kilometres of white sand beaches and calm blue seas. Looked as if it was some Caribbean country. Where are the hotel resorts? Do you know that it is hard to find anyone making Benin masks or castes? They are all gone and no one else in this world does them. Any foreign who comes to Benin wants one. Kogi State all the way to Abuja have unclimbed mountains that extreme sports tourists will die for. So many things a tourist would love.

To cut it short. Yes look at what we have. Remove corruption and bad government, add security and some foreign investment and we will not even need the oil.